The moment Qatar had been waiting nearly 12 years for arrived—and it didn’t go at all how the country and its national team had envisioned.
The 2022 World Cup host nation flopped in its first match on soccer’s grandest stage, falling to Ecuador 2–0 in the opening game of the competition. An Enner Valencia double in the first half was all it took to make Qatar the first host team to lose the opening match of its World Cup, but truthfully the match was more lopsided than the score reflected.
The festivities at the bedouin tent-inspired Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor kicked off with a spirited opening ceremony, featuring actor Morgan Freeman, BTS star Jung Kook, mascots of past World Cups and a whole lot of fireworks.
